K'taka: Gowda set to take oath, rival camp somber

K'taka: Gowda set to assume charge as CM

D V Sadananda Gowda is all set to assume charge as new Karnataka chief minister on Thursday even as there was disquiet in the rival camp which lost out in the bitterly fought secret ballot.

Ousted chief minister B S Yeddyurappa's candidate, Gowda, who defeated Jagadish Shettar in the secret ballot at the legislature party meeting on Wednesday, is slated to be sworn-in by Governor H R Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan at 16.30 hours.

Shettar contemplates over defeat

Some of the members of Legislative Assembly who pushed for Shettar's candidature met at his residence for breakfast on Thursday and discussed the "reasons" for his defeat.

"There are different reasons for his (Shettar's) defeat", camp follower and Home and Transport Minister R Ashoka told newsmen but did not go into specifics. He stated that he and the party's state unit chief K S Eshwarappa were among those (more than 50 MLAs) who had backed Shettar for the top post.

From now on, I'm an ordinary worker of BJP: Yeddy

Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa said that from Thursday, he is an "ordinary worker of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party", and indicated that Gowda, whose candidature was suggested by himself, would have a free hand.

Disquiet in Ananth Kumar camp

Gowda drove to Yeddyurappa's residence, which was flocked by ministerial aspirants as lobbying for cabinet berths intensified. The mood was sombre in the rival camp led by BJP National General Secretary H N Ananth Kumar and Eshwarappa.

Asked if this camp would attend the swearing-in ceremony, Ashoka evaded the question, saying it (the event) has not come to their notice and there was no "letter" (invitation). But Eshwarappa said all MLAs would participate.